‘Setting fire to Rahul Ananda’s house has no connection with religion’
“Rahulda's (Rahul Ananda) house being set on fire has no connection with his religion, race, caste and culture. I request not to spread such rumours,” Farhana Hamid, one of the proprietors of fashion house ‘Khut’, wrote on Facebook.
Sharing Farhana Hamid’s post from their official page on 9 August, Rahul Ananda’s music band ‘Joler Gaan’ wrote, “Please read the post and know the truth.”
Following Sheikh Hasina government’s fall in the face of a mass uprising on 5 August, the people carried out celebration processions throughout the country.
There were incidents of arson and vandalism at various government establishments and Awami League offices on that day. Communal attacks on religious minorities were also reported in some places.
The incident of singer, actor and musician of ‘Joler Gaan’ band Rahul Ananda and one of the proprietors of ‘Khut’ as well as artist Urmila Shukla’s rented house at Dhanmondi-32 being set on fire has been represented as a ‘communal attack’ in some media outlets from Kolkata as well as Dhaka. The same thing spread on the social media also.
In the middle of discussion on the issue of the arson, presenting the whole picture, fashion designer Farhana Hamid wrote that the miscreants set fire targeting the Bangabandhu museum at Dhanmondi-32. Rahul Ananda’s house is on the boundary of the museum. His house was also set on fire later.
Rahul Ananda himself confirmed the news of sharing that post from the official page of ‘Joler Gaan’ to Prothom Alo. He told Prothom Alo, “People of this country starting from the beggars to the people of the upper class love me. They didn’t go to set fire at my house. Among the thousands of people, the over enthusiastic ones have actually done it.”
Farhana Hamid wrote, "If they had set the fire aiming at Rahul Ananda, they would not have allowed this family to leave like this. And, if they were not allowed to leave, it’s impossible to get out of that house."
"Rahulda (Rahul Ananda)’s house being set on fire has no connection with his religion, race, caste and culture. So, I request not to spread such rumours. In the current state of the country, any rumours can take a terrible shape. Let’s be careful," the post continued.
Farhana wrote further, "Personally, I’m against setting fire at anywhere. And, I’m certainly not in favour of setting fire to an important part of country’s history like the Bangabandhu Museum. At this time I am aware of the attacks on minorities and I’m strongly against it."
"But, the fire at Rahul Ananda’s house was not set because of religion, race, caste or culture. However, such rumours are spreading that the arson was committed based on religion, race, caste or culture. Let us not spread such rumours," she added.